Cookie Dough – Bridge House Theatre, Penge (SE Fest)

Writer: Andy Sellers 
Director: Saniya Saraf

Reviewer: Christine Stanton

“Cute RomCom”

4 / 5

It’s Bernie’s last night in Bournemouth. Her flat is all packed up, the moving boxes are stacked ready to be shipped out in the morning and she’s ready to go. Ish.

Despite being excited to head back home, Bernie (Remi Shorunke-Samuel) is having some last minute doubts, unsure if she’s making the right decision. With a storm raging outside, the last thing she expects is company, and when her best friend from work, Polly (Harriet Cantello) shows up out of the blue, she’s even more thrown about what to do. Polly is desperate for her to stay, and no matter how many times she gives up and heads home – the Universe keeps putting her right back on Bernie’s doorstep, forcing her to try to convince her over and over again, with a Groundhog Day style redo.

Cookie Dough is a touching tale of friendship, feelings and uncertain futures. Sellers has packed the script with heart, making both characters wonderfully likeable, and allowing the audience to root for a variety of different outcomes – whether it’s Bernie’s idea of heading to France, opening a food truck or embarking on a relationship with Polly, all avenues are appealing, because of the warmth behind each character’s well-written dialogue. Shorunke-Samuel and Cantello have great chemistry, and are utterly believable in their roles. Polly’s manic, messy energy balances out well with Bernie’s calmer, more settled manner, creating some humorous interactions between the pair. Both are brilliantly endearing and draw out all of the emotion and connection from the enjoyable script.

Despite the repetitive nature of the circumstances surrounding Polly constantly repeating the same evening, it never becomes boring, with Sellers ensuring each arrival is slightly different, and the interactions constantly fresh and intriguing. There are some very funny scenes where Polly re-arrives at the flat and gives up almost immediately because of a comment or gesture, creating a bunch of snippets that are very cleverly and comedically executed. Tender conversations about grief, family and mental health are only touched on slightly, but done so sensitively, ensuring that the emotions surrounding the subjects are explored with a believable and realistic approach.

Runs until 3rd August 2026 at Jack Studio Theatre